Light bulb support comprising a ring having a plurality of fingers extending forwardly and rearwardly of the ring



Nov. 14, 1950 E: A. PRICE LIGHT BULB SUPPORT COMPRISING A RING HAVING APLURALITY OF FINGERS EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THE RINGFiled Feb. 5, 194a JNVENTOR. 0/so/v ,4. PR/C'E 4 TTO/P/ViYS let housingsand supportstherefor.

Patented Nov. 14, 1950 LIGHT BULB. SUPPORT. COMPRISING. A RING HAVING. APLURALITY'" OF. GERSI EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF THE RING"Edison -A; Price-New York, N. Y2, assignor to Dis play LightingInoorporated,-;.New York, .N. .Y.',.. a-corporation. of. New YorkApplication-February 3, 1948; seriallNm-oillilz 5 .Claims. (01.240-415.)

The present'invention relatesggenerally to light housings,v and. inparticular'it 'relates to-light housings of the type known in thetrade..as"b.ul- These bullet housings are of :thin gauge metal, verylight in weight.v In shape, they. are quite elongated,

circular in cross-section,. tapereddownwardly toward the rear endthereof, and having a relatively largeopening at the front end. Suchhousings are. usedinpconnectiorr with various. sizes of" electric lightbulbs having: reflectors built thereinto; or having other treatments,and it has always beena problem .to properly support housings of. thistyperwith'respect to.;the light bulband the bulb base.

The main object of the present-invention is the provisionofmeans whichwill securely and properlysupport a: housing on and about light bulbs ofdifferent sizes andfshapes.

Still another: object'oi the present invention is the provision of asupport of the character described comprising: aaring having -aplurality of fingersv extending forwardly and rearwardly-of the ring.;,

Another object: ofrth'epresent inventionisthe provision of support;meansfor -a light housing about electric lights bulbs disposedv within thethe bulb, in part'locatingqthe bulb-and in part tensioning. the support1 means forengagement I thereof with the. housing.

.Still another-obiect-of the present. invention is the provision. of asupport of the character. defscribed comprising a ring; having aplurality. of

fingers thereon extendingforwardly and-'rearwardly thereof, certain of.the 1 fingers; being adapted to engage the head of a light bulb, andcertain of 'the" fingers being adapted to engage and grip the mouth ofthe housing, whereby the housing is supported about the bulb.

Still another object. of the present invention is the provision of asupport of thercha'racter described comprising a ring havinga pluralityof fingers extendingforwardly thereof," the fingers having' bulb headreceivingmeans between the ring and the free ends thereof; the freezendshaving housingmouth engagingmeans.

Still another object of the presentinvention is the provision of asupport of the characteride- -scribedcomprising a ring having apluralityof fingers. extended rearwardly;thereof, and-projectionsextending inwardly of the ring in the plane thereof, the ring andfingers cooperating to locate and secure the front end of a light bulbtherebetween.

housing, positionins oi-the support means-about Other, further and:morespecific'objects. of my invention-will in vpar tbe. obvious. and inpart pointed. out specifically in the. following description .ofail-illustrative embodiment- In the drawings annexed hereto and forminga parthereof,

Figure. 1. issa.sideeelevational view of a base, lightsocket, electriclight bulb, ring and housing assembly. constructed according, toandembodying the. present: invention, the. housing being shown in.verticalsectionand a portion of the ring being broken away;

Figure 2v is. a. similar. View, but withranother type ofIbulbwithinthehousingandsupport; and

Figure 3. a. front, elevational. viewin .the direction 0f;the;arrowofFigu-re 2.

A heavy base, member. i0 is provided,.,having secured. thereto alight.bulb socketl-2... As illustrated inFigurel, an enlargedlhead type ofelectriclight bulb as l-4 or. Ni /may be screw-fitted into socket .12anclsupported thereby as shown. The presentinvention isdirectedto theprovision of. means to suriportabullet housing. as. H about bulbs l4, I6and socket I2 as to enclose thebulb and .thesocketendwithin .the housingH; This sup-portlis .providedby. .the. device of my invention whichherein .is indicated. generally byreference numeral120.

Support..20,.comprises .anannular ringor band 22- to. which. apluralityof fingers 24, 24 are secured, as by screw boltsz-fi, 26fias. shown, orby spot weldingnby .riveting,-or.. other suitable or desired'emeansj the.desiderata in. this connection 'beingthefirm.securement oithe fingers,as well as the provision. of inwardly directed. projections as 28, 28.These projectionsmay consist of the leading. ends of.the.screws or bolts26', 26.. However, .if, as .abovaspring fingers 24; 24. are spot welded.to ring ,22, or fi'ush riveted, theinwardly directedprojecti'ons maybeotherwise formed on the inner aspect ofthe. ring. Further, the.projections 28;..28, need. not be coincidentally. located with.thesecure'ment of the fingers to the ring.

Each of fingers 24,' 24; comprises. a length or strip. of springy,material, the rearwardly. extendeclporti'ons' 36, 30 thereof beyond ring22 having the ends 32 thereof bentreversely and thence outwardly at itsterminal portion,.and terminating inshort.portions-.134. bent overtowards the body 36 .otportionfill. The portion of each finger .24extending forwardly of ring '20 is bent or curved, as at 42, and thenbent outwardly as at 44, terminating in outwardly curved tips 46, seeFigs. 1 and 2. The normal diameter of the circle through the tips 46 isslightly larger than the diameter of the housing mouth.

In Figure 1, I have illustrated the application of my support 20 inconnection with the use of the large round-headed electric light bulb l4known generally as a blown reflector bulb, the characteristics of whichare (as illustrated) a bulbous rounded head end 50 and a convex front52. When it is desired to use such a bulb I4 and mount thereon a bullethousing as H, the sup-- port for the housing is provided by my ringassembly 20. The base end of bulb I4 is threaded through ring 22 andbulbous head 50 is pulled or pushed into the seat provided by recesses42, 42 in the forwardly extending fingers 24, 24. When the bulb withring assembly 20 thereon is screwed into socket 12, the extensions orspreading terminals 4B, 46 of the spread finger ends are slightlycontracted against their normal biasing, and

curve about and grip the edge of the housing mouth, thereby supportinghousing H at its front end. Usually, this support is sufiicient and noother support is needed, but if any additional support is required atthe rear of the housing, the rear end of the housing resting on theswivel socket l 2 will be adequate for such purpose.

In Figures 2 and 3, I have illustrated the application of support 2!! inconnection with the use of a molded reflector bulb IS, thecharacteristics of which are an enlarged head, a tapered front end and aflat face 12, the overall length of bulb 16 being shorter than that ofthe blown type of bulb as [4. My ring support assembly 20 may also beused with this bulb, in connection with the same bullet type of housingas H. When bulb I6 is used, ring assembly is fitted onto and snappedover the tapered bulb head Ill, against the tensioning of reversely bentfingers 32, 34, which grip the bulb, the edge of bulb face 12 beinglocated by the inwardly directed prongs or projections 28, 28. The bulbIii-support 20 as sembly is then inserted into housing H, the bulb basethreaded into socket l2, and the finger ends 46, 46 engaged over theedge of the mouth of the housing. i It will thus be seen that with myassembly 20, means are provided to support a housing about reflectorbulbs of various types and sizes; Support20'is easily, quickly andpositively fitted onto the bulbs, and the bulbs and support assembly arequickly and easily disposed within the housing for supporting samethereon.

It is to be observed that support 20, as shown and described, may beformed of relatively light inexpensive material, easily and quickly; andthat the attachment of the fingers to the ring is also very simple,requiring no particular skill or experience. The specific dimensioningsof the ring and fingers are factors merely of the types and sizes ofbulbs to be supported, and of the length of the housing into which thebulb is placed, and of the diameter of the housing opening 50.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for supporting an open mouthed bullet housing on thehead of an electric light bulb which apparatus comprises an annular ringmember, a plurality of fingers extending rearwardly of the ring andbeyond the plane thereof, means to secure the fingers to the ring, andextensions directed inwardly of the ring in 4 the plane thereof tolocate the front end of the bulb and a plurality of fingers extendingforwardly of the ring and beyond the plane thereof to engage and gripthe housing at the mouth thereof, whereby to support the said housing onsaid bulb..

2. Apparatus as in claim 1, in which the inwardly directed ringextensions comprise a part of the means to secure the fingers to thering.

3. An apparatus for supporting an open mouthed housing on the head of anelectric light bulb, the apparatus comprising an annular ring member, aplurality of prong projecting inwardly of the ring, and a plurality offingers of spring material extending rearwardly of the ring and beyondthe plane thereof, the fingers terminating in reversely and inwardlydirected portions to form a bulb head seat between the fingers and theprongs, and a plurality of fingers extending forwardly of the ring andbeyond the plane thereof to engage and grip the housing at the mouththereof, whereby to support the said housing on said bulb.

4. An apparatus to support an open mouthed bullet housing about anelectric light bulb having an enlarged head, which apparatus comprisesan annular ring member; a plurality of elongated spring fingers disposeduniformly about the ring annulus and secured at right angles thereto,said fingers having portions thereof extending a substantial distancebeyond the plane of the ring at one side thereof, the extensions beingcurved between the ring and the ends thereof, to form a seat forlocating and gripping the bulb head, and fingers on the ring, hooked atthe terminals thereof, to engage the mouth of the housing whereby tosupport the housing about the bulb, with the open mouth of the housingin spaced relation to the head of the bulb.

5. An apparatus to support an open mouthed bullet housing about anelectric light bulb having an enlarged head, which apparatus comprisesan annular ring member, a plurality of elongated spring fingers disposeduniformly about the ring annulus and secured at right angles thereto,said fingers having portions thereof extending a substantial distancebeyond the plane of the ring on both sides thereof, the extensions onone side being curved to provide a bulb head locating and receiving seatbetween the ring and the ends of the extensions, and the extensions onthe other side being bent to form, in cooperation with the ring, a bulbhead locating and receiving seat,

the extremities of the fingers on the one side of the ring being shapedto engage the mouth of the housing whereby to support the housing aboutthe bulb.

EDISON A. PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

